Scale.



- W. B. MAODONALD.

SCALE.

APPLICATION FILED 2mm. 1909.

949,435. Patented Feb. 15,1910.

with mom .7 l a 3 v I v WILLIAM BURT MACDONALD, OF CHARLOTTE, MICHIGAN.

SCALE.

Specification of Letters ?atent.

Patented Feb. 15, 1910.

Application filed February 9, 1909. Serial NO. 476,983.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, WILLIAM BURT Mito- DONALD, a citizen of the United States, we I siding at Charlotte, in the county of Eaton and State of hlichigan, have invented a new and useful Scale, of which the following is a specification.

The object of the invention is to provide a truck having a weight-receiving platform mounted thereon and operatively connected with. a scale beam, means being provided for moving the platform to inoperative position when the truck is employed in the usual manner for hauling or transporting trunks, parcels and other baggage or freight.

1 still further object of the invention is, generally, to improve this class of devices so as to increase their utility, durability and efficiency.

Further objects and advantages will appear in the following description, it being understood that various changes in form, proportions and minor details of construction may be resorted to within the scope of the appended claims.

In the accompanying drawings forming a part of this specification :-Figure 1 is a front elevation of a combined truck and scale constructed in accordance with my invention. Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the same, showing in dotted lines the position assumed by the weight-receiving platform when the truck is used as a scale. Fig. 3 is a side elevation partly in section illustrating a modified form of the invention. Fig. 1: is a side elevation partly in section illustrating a further modification. Fig. 5 is a side eleva tion of one of the extensible links shown in Fig. b.

Similar numerals of reference indicate corresponding parts in all of the figures of the drawings.

The preferred embodiment of the present invention illustrated in Figs. 1 and 2 of the drawings, comprises a truck including spaced. side beams (3 connected by an angular plate or lip 6 and to which is secured an axle 8 provided with the usual traction wheels 9.

Slidably mounted on the side beams 6 is a vertically movable cover plate 7 one end of which terminates short of the handles 10, while the other end thereof is secured to a weight-receiving platform indicated at 12.

Secured. to or formed integral with the ing plates 19 is a yoke or be:

platform 12 and the cover plate 7, is a longitudinal strip 13 having a transverse bar or cleat 1 1 secured thereto which serves to space the trunk, parcel or other article from the cover plate 7 when the article is being weighed.

The platform is preferably reinforced and strengthened by the provision of inclined braces 15, the lower end of each of which is provided with a terminal hook 16 for engagen'ient with suitable eyes 17 cured to the adjacent corners of the platform 12, while the upper or converging ends of the braces are provided with similar hooks for engagement with corresponding eyes 18 secured to end plates 19 carried by the longitudinal strip 13.

Pivotally mounted at 20 on the reinforcil 21, which is suspended from a bar 22 arranged between the handles 10 of the truck by means of depending links 28. One end of the bar 22 with the usual counterpoises 26, while the other end thereof is extended laterally beyond the mating handle and connected through the medium of a chain or link 2a with a scale beam 25 of any approved construction. The scale beam 25 is provided with the usual counterpoises 26, while the free end of the beam operates in a keeper 27 fastened to the rear longitudinal edges of the handles 10. A locking member or red 28 is pivotally mounted at the rear of the truck and provided with a terminal hook 30 for engagement with the free end of the bail 21 when the platform is moved to elevated or operative position. lhe cover plate 7 is preferably connected with the side beams (3 by means of links 80, one end of each of which is pivotally connected with the inner edge of the adjacent beam 6, while the opposite ends thereof are pivotally connected to said cover plate, thereby to prevent friction between the parts when the platform is raised or lowered. Thus it will be seen that by imparting a downward move ment to the free end of the yoke 21, the platform 12 will be elevated to the dotted line position shown in Fig. 2 of the drawings so that the weight of the trunk, parcel or other article placed on the platform may be readily ascertained.

hen the truck is used in the ordinary manner for transporting or transferring trunks, parcels and the like, the handles 10 are swung downwardly until the depending feet 31 rest on the ground, in which posi tion the truck may be loaded readily.

In order to ascertain the weight of any particular trunk the platform 12 is moved to the dotted line position shown in Fig. 2 of the drawing either before or after the trunk is positioned on said platform, this operation being accomplished by depressing the free end of the yoke 21.

\Vith the truck in the upright position shown in Fig. 2 of the drawings, the entire weight of the trunk or other article on the platform will be sustained by the bar 22 which, being loosely mounted at one end and operatively connected with the scale beam will actuate the latter to weigh said trunk. After the trunk has been weighed the locking device or hook 28 is released from the bail 21 and the latter swung upwardly, thus permitting the platform 12 to rest on the end support or lip G and in which position the truck may be again used in the ordinary manner for transporting trunks from place to place.

In Fig. 3 of the drawings there is illustrated a modified form of the invention in which the upper face of the truck is provided with a pair of rigid uprights or standards 32 having heads 33 between which is pivoted or fulcrumed at 34 a scale beam Arranged in front of the traction wheels S) of the truck is a platform 12 provided with a vertical extension 36, which latter is slidably mounted between the inner faces of the standards The extension of the platform 12 is pivotally connected with the standards 32 by means of extensible links 37 each preferably formed in two sections, one section of each of which is pivotally connected with the adjacent standard and the other to the extension 36.

Pivotally connected at 38 with the extension 36 of the platform are spaced rods 39 which are in turn connected at 40 with a pivoted bail or yoke -l1 similar in construction to the bail 21 shown in Figs. 1 and 2 of the drawings. A pair of links 42 serve to connect the bail or yoke 41 with the scale beam at a point at the rear of the fulcrum 3% so that when the bail 11 is moved down wardly into engagement with the locking member 41-3, the platform will be moved to the dotted line position and the weight of the trunk or other article placed on the platform 12, indicated on the scale beam 35.

A further modification is illustrated in Fig. 4L. of the drawings in which the uprights or standards it are spaced inwardly from the wheels of the truck so that when the platform 12 is in lowered or inoperative position, the latter will rest on the upper surface of the body of the truck, as shown. In other respects, the device shown in Fig. at of the drawings is similar in construction and operates to the scale shown in Fig. 3.

Having thus described the invention what is claimed is 1. A scale including a truck, a weightreceiving platform slidably mounted on the truck, a scale-beam, a yoke fulcrumcd intermediate its ends upon the truck and operatively connected with the scale beam and weight-receiving platform for raising and lowering the latter, and means carried by the truck and adapted to engage the yoke, thereby to lock the platform in operative position.

2. A scale including a wheeled truck, a weight-receiving platform carried by the truck, a bail supporting bar pivoted at one end to the truck, a scale operatively connected with the other end of the bail-supporting bar, and a bail suspended from said bar and operatively connected with the weight-receiving platform for moving the latter to operative position with respect to the scale beam.

3. A scale including a wheeled truck having an end support and provided with operating handles, a weight-receiving platform normally resting on the end support, a scale beam extending transversely across the handles of the truck, a bar pivoted at one end to one of said handles and operatively connected at the other end with the scale beam, and a yoke fulcrumed at intermediate its ends upon the bar and operatively connected with the weightreceiving platform for moving the latter out of engagement with the end support.

4. A scale including a wheeled truck having an end support, a weight-receiving platform normally-resting on the end support and provided with a back plate. a transverse bar secured to the back plate, reinforcing rods extending from the platform to the upper end of the back plate, a scale beam, a pivoted bar disposed beneath the scale beam and operatively connected with the latter, and a yoke suspended from the bar and operatively connected with the adjacent end of the back plate for elevating the weight-receiving platform above the end support.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own, I have hereto atlixed my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

WILLIAM BURT MACDONALD.

IVitnesses FRANK E. BEARD, An'rnrn F. VIoKnnY. 

